Job 30:31
My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Job 30:31
My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
It’s easy to read this as simply Job's joy being replaced by sadness. But notice how the instruments themselves, meant for celebration, are now associated with weeping. This isn't just a loss of happiness; it's the corruption of everything that used to bring him delight, turning even the symbols of his former good life into reminders of his current misery.
Job has just finished a lengthy, impassioned lament about his current miserable condition, detailing his physical suffering, social isolation, and the mockery he faces. This verse concludes that section by summing up the complete reversal of his former joy; his instruments of celebration now only serve to underscore his profound sorrow and weeping.
Job once knew the sounds of celebration. Now, those very instruments are silent or transformed by sorrow.
Job describes a profound shift from delight to distress. His musical instruments, the harp and the pipe, were not just for entertainment; they were often used in expressions of praise to God and in joyous occasions.
The Contrast:
Now, these instruments are either put away or, metaphorically, their sound has been replaced. Instead of melodies of joy, all that can be heard is the sound of mourning and weeping. This highlights the depth of his despair; even the symbols of his former happiness are now stark reminders of what he has lost.
It's not just that the music is gone; the very memory of music can now sharpen the pain.
The scholars suggest a powerful idea: Job's former instruments of delight might not just be silent, but their very existence or memory could now 'renew and aggravate his sorrows.'
Imagine a beloved song that you used to sing with a friend who is now gone. Hearing that song might bring a pang of sadness because it reminds you so vividly of the joy you once shared, making the current absence more painful.
This is likely how Job felt. His harp and pipe were tied to a life of prosperity, honor, and closeness to God. Now, in his state of utter desolation, seeing or thinking of these instruments wouldn't bring comfort, but would instead amplify his grief by contrasting his current misery with his past happiness.
Job's suffering has reached a point where even the most basic human expressions of joy are impossible.
Understand the original words
kinnor · Hebrew Noun
A stringed musical instrument frequently used in the Bible for praise, worship, and celebrations of joy. Its association with mourning here signifies a total reversal of Job’s former status and his relationship with God.
ebel · Hebrew Noun
The expression of deep grief or sorrow, often associated with lamentation for the dead or national calamity. It represents a profound emotional and spiritual state of anguish.
ugab · Hebrew Noun
A wind instrument, often translated as 'flute' or 'pipe,' used in festive occasions or processions. Like the lyre, its transition to a voice of weeping highlights the complete inversion of Job's life from joy to sorrow.
bakah · Hebrew Verb
This passage powerfully echoes Job's sentiment, describing the sorrow of exile where the captives were asked to sing and play joyous songs, but their hearts were too heavy with grief, unable to find music in their despair.
Lamentations 5:15This verse directly parallels Job's experience, stating that the joy has gone out of the land and the music has ceased, replaced by weeping and mourning, vividly capturing the same atmosphere of profound sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 3:4While not a direct parallel in sorrow, this verse from Ecclesiastes speaks to the 'time for everything,' including a 'time to weep and a time to dance,' highlighting that Job's lament reflects an appropriate season of grief after immense loss.
Mark 5:39In the New Testament, Jesus encounters a similar transformation of sound, where the weeping and wailing over a deceased girl are replaced by laughter and joy when she is raised back to life, showing a contrast between sorrowful sounds and joyous ones.
clarkeJob 30:31: "My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep."
My harp also is turned to mourning - Instead of the harp, my only music is my own plaintive cries. And my organ - What the עגב uggab was, we know not; it was most probably some sort of pipe or wind instrument. His harp, כנור kinnor, and his pipe, עגב uggab, were equally mute, or only used for mournful ditties. This chapter is full of the most painful and pathetic sorrow; but nevertheless tempered…
gillJob 30:31: "My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep."
My harp also is turned to mourning,.... Which he used, as David, either in religious worship, expressing praise to God thereby, or for his recreation in an innocent way; but now it was laid aside, and, instead of it, nothing was heard from him, or in his house, but the voice of mourning: and my organ into the voice of them that weep; another instrument of music, which had its name from the pleasantne…
It’s easy to read this as simply Job's joy being replaced by sadness. But notice how the instruments themselves, meant for celebration, are now associated with weeping. This isn't just a loss of happiness; it's the corruption of everything that used to bring him delight, turning even the symbols of his former good life into reminders of his current misery.
Job has just finished a lengthy, impassioned lament about his current miserable condition, detailing his physical suffering, social isolation, and the mockery he faces. This verse concludes that section by summing up the complete reversal of his former joy; his instruments of celebration now only serve to underscore his profound sorrow and weeping.
Job has just finished a lengthy, impassioned lament about his current miserable condition, detailing his physical suffering, social isolation, and the mockery he faces. This verse concludes that section by summing up the complete reversal of his former joy; his instruments of celebration now only serve to underscore his profound sorrow and weeping.
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Job is painting a picture of complete devastation. The instruments he mentions – the harp and the pipe – were not trivial items. They were symbols of a life filled with blessing, social standing, and perhaps even spiritual devotion.
The Shift:
His lament is deep, a 'long dirge' as one commentator put it. The transformation from music to mourning signifies the total collapse of his former life and happiness. It’s a powerful, raw expression of suffering where the very tools of joy become instruments of sorrow.
The act of shedding tears due to grief, pain, or distress. In a biblical context, it often serves as an expression of genuine human suffering and is sometimes directed toward God as a plea for mercy.
"My lyre is turned to mourning, and my pipe to the voice of those who weep." — It’s easy to read this as simply Job's joy being replaced by sadness. But notice how the instruments themselves, meant for celebration, are now associated with weeping. This isn't just a loss of ha…